Blogging is a stage
And it’s one where one can publicly fail or succeed. It’s been said and written many, many times before about NAR’s need to engage their members and the public. Nowhere is active engagement’s value more readily seen than from David G (Zillow) and Rudy (Trulia) - so much so that they only need first names.
Witness this timeline on a recent Trulia interaction -
At least three things are notable about this example -
1) Trulia (and Zillow - see the comments) listened and fixed the problem.
2) When the problem was fixed, Trulia told the community.
3) The customer returned to the post and stated that the problem had been corrected.
If you’re not participating in the conversation with regularity, your “participation” is not really relevant - it might even be perceived as pandering. Part of listening is responding; people don’t listen to companies, they listen to people.
If you’re not going to dedicate yourself or your organization to learning about and doing something well, don’t do it at all. The internet is a very public place.
Technorati Tags: realtor
Notorious R.O.B. on NAR, Marketing, and the “M” Word
Great piece by Rob. Rob’s a marketer (VP of Marketing for OnBoard), a helluva writer and not one to withhold opinion. That is a great combination.
NAR needs to get with the program. Recognize what’s important in todays so-called “Web 2.0″ world, and focus on those. Might I recommend that NAR begin with (a) understanding the Realtor brand, where it is, and how to improve it; (b) understanding the consumer’s mindset in a far stronger, clearer way, to provide guidance to its members; and (c) working on removing barriers to open and honest conversation between agents and consumers — for example, some of the overreaching provisions of the Fair Housing Act.
Amen Rob.
h/t to Dustin. But only because “4″ comes before “N” in my reader…
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When you have a family, it’s always a good time to buy
No, it’s not. Absolutes like “always” and “never” are rarely correct.
Charles Woodall at DothanHomeSearch.com has a great post that dissects one of the NAR’s latest “Public Awareness” campaigns.
He takes a look at one of the ads line-by-line.
I’d take a look at his post.
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Last Chance! Realtor Magazine is Looking for Your “Most Clever Giveaway”
From my email:
Last Chance! What’s Your Most Clever Giveaway? REALTOR® magazine online is on the hunt for the most effective and promotional giveaways that you use to get clients to remember you. The best ideas will be featured in an upcoming interactive article. To be considered, send a description of your giveaway and why it’s so successful to Associate Editor Melissa Tracey, mtracey@realtors.org. Then, send one of your promotional giveaways in the mail to: Melissa Tracey / Best Giveaways; 430 N. Michigan Avenue, 9th Floor; Chicago, IL 60611. Submissions must be in by Wed., Jan. 30, to be considered. Read more…
Sounds like poor Melissa is going to be buried in cute magnets, calendars and God knows what.
Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve always found it difficult to bribe someone into becoming a client by giving them some material object. And it seems to me that what people truly remember is superior service. That just seems to last longer than some trinket.
Now I just have to figure out how to put superior customer service in an envelope so I can ship it to Melissa…
Get Your Banner Ads While They’re Hot
“Rates are Low, Inventory is High. Now is a Great Time to Buy” had a really cool rhyme and everything but wasn’t quite what I was looking for.
I think this sums things up a little bit better:
Do Not Try This At Home
As I drove to Starbucks this morning, I head the first radio add for the NAR’s latest “Public Awareness Campaign” (chronicled somewhat here last week).
In the ad, they mention the new website, Housing Market Facts.
I went there last week, and promptly clicked off when the young lady walked out onto my screen and began rambling.
That is SO incredibly annoying.
Get Ready - Here Comes the NAR 2008 Public Awareness Campaign
From my email in-box:
I am pleased to announce the 2008 Public Awareness Campaign. This year’s campaign aims to give consumers the facts about the long-term value of real estate and current market conditions to balance the sometimes incomplete and sensational information presented in the national media.
The campaign launches nationally on January 14. The TV and radio ads will air more than 10,000 times on national TV and radio outlets from January through November, continuing the campaign’s on-air presence for 11 months of the year.
In addition to the advertising placed by NAR and various local and state REALTOR® associations, the campaign includes Web banners, presentation materials, and other resources that you can use to enhance your business.
For a special preview of the 2008 campaign materials and media schedule CLICK HERE.
Thank you again for your continued support of the Public Awareness Campaign.
Sincerely,
Dick Gaylord
2008 NAR President
“Thank you again for your continued support of the Public Awareness Campaign”?
Did I have a choice?
I’m preparing to head off to New York City for the Inman Real Estate Connect conference, so I don’t have time to digest all that the campaign includes (print, TV and radio sports are all accessible from the link). I’ll focus on “enhancing my business” when I return.
Would love to hear anyone’s thoughts….
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What a Concept
NAR’s Shiny New “Assessment Fee”
Earlier this week, Benn Rosales noted on AgentGenius that he received a $30 fee from the NAR on his annual dues bill. The fee was labeled, “NAR Image Campaign”. Benn’s local association slapped an additional “image fee” on him as well.
Knowing I was soon to get my dues statement and bill, I waited with breathless anticipation.
Well, it arrived Friday…
NAR Dues $80.00
Local Dues $115.00
State Dues $150.00
NAR Assessment Fee $30.00
RPAC Survival Fee $30.00 (voluntary)
Total due = $405 (doubled for my family since the wife is a realtor too). But hey, it’s two bucks cheaper than my buds in Austin are paying. That and another 3 bucks will get me a Starbucks.
The letter that came with the bill had this to say about the NAR Assessment Fee:
The National Association of REALTORS (NAR) has increased their dues to $80, plus the $30 NAR Assessment fee embarked to fund the successful Public Awareness Campaign. This campaign aggressively promotes the REALTOR image in the public’s eye.
What a load of crap.
Let’s see…. 1.4 million members x $30 = $42,000,000. That’s a heck of a campaign.
And this comes just a week or so after the NAR’s decision to spend $15,000,000 on a credit union.
I can hardly wait to see the $42 million aggressive public awareness campaign. Or has this money already been spent telling everyone, “it’s a great time to buy or sell a home” or putting the kid on a swing?
What is also going to be interesting is to see how many people bail out of the industry rather than writing a $400 check. It’s been a rough year for a lot of agents…
Note: the “RPAC Survival Fee” pertains to my local Realtor Political Action Committee. They conveniently make it quite simple to pay, and not so simple to “unvolunteer”. But I’ve got that down to a science.
“Survival Fee”??? WTF??? Can they not survive without my money, or am I supposed to believe I can’t survive without them?
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The NAR Puts a Kid on a Swing
To counter recent negative housing reports in the media, NAR is helping local REALTOR® associations across the country explain the real facts behind the real estate market in their area.
NAR has created a print ad that targets potential home buyers, educating them about the long-term value of housing and providing insight into local real estate markets to help buyers make informed decisions about what can be the biggest investment opportunity of their lives.
A full-page version of the ad will run in USA Today on November 2 and November 9, 2007. Local versions of the ad will run in select markets nationwide on November 4 and November 11, 2007.
Click here for the add in all its glory.
I wonder what this gem cost? Anyone know what full page ads in the USA Today go for?
Here’s what the Motley Fool has to say about it.
This is a typical bromide from the trade group that brought us a never-ending supply of optimistic spin, encouraging people to buy homes as “investments,” no matter how over-inflated they were, no matter how bad the financing was. (Hey, you can’t blame them. They just want their 6% cut on the biggest financial transaction in your life.)
Like much of the general population, they assume Realtors, all Realtors, support ads like this. And I can understand why. After all, it is OUR trade group putting out this drivel. The Fool probably thinks (like many do) that we have some sort of say in what the NAR rolls out.
Thanks NAR, for continuing to improve the public perception of Realtors.